KWSAN REVIEWS
FILMS: Horse opera
By RICHARD GEARY Kansan Reviewer
Upon its release last summer, True Grit was met with almost unanimous critical acclaim.
But those who have read the Charles Portis novel and remember an ingenious, something moving little spoof of Americana, will be disappointed to find the movie a rather flat, perfectly average, old-fashioned horse opera.
The story of a serious-minded, strong-willed girl, who enlists a crusty old marshal to help her avenge her father's murder, is flimsy, of course, but it should benefit from finely drawn characters, situations and historical detail. This picture, however, lowers everything to Saturday matinee level. For instance, the climatic scene, in which the girl is threatened by a deadly snake, genuinely exciting in the book, is here just another tired western cliche.
The singular service performed by True Grit, though, is as a star vehicle for John Wayne. True, he is a joy to watch—the most entertaining element of the entire film—but this is because everyone knows him. He seems just right because he is just right. It is plain that Wayne and Rooster Cogburn are one in the same person, and the role comes off through sheer force of personality, rather than any extraordinary acting ability.
The other performers don't fare quite as well. Kim Darby, as the heroine, Mattie Ross, aside from looking too old for the part, is all too often unable to cope with the archaic literary style of the dialogue. Glen Campbell, in his first screen role, is even more of an embarrassed, as is the syrupy title song he sings.
The script and some of the minor characters provide a few good moments, but they are given no encouragement by Henry Hathaway, who directs with the same heavy, undistinguished hand he has used in his previous fifty-odd pictures.
Even the photography, in glaring picture postcard colors (what are those snow capped mountains doing in the Oklahoma territory?), becomes positively irritating.
As far as story material is concerned, the western genre of fiction is pretty much worn out. All that film-makers can do now is try to inject these old plots with added significance or entertainment value. True Grit is a fitfully enjoyable movie, a mild diversion, but with a little imagination and lightness-of-touch it could have been much more.
Duke's a duchess
By MIKE SHEARER Arts & Reviews Editor
Me, Natalie was not made for those of you who consider themselves reasonably attractive and well-adjusted.
It was made for those of us who know what it feels like to be frumpy in one way or another, and Patty Duke's portrayal of a maturing girl with a nose that defies gravity and with teeth like cow-catchers cannot fail to win our sympathies.
Patty, who had seemingly regressed into theatrical immaturity since her Miracle Worker role several years ago, is simply a stunning actress. One more film like Me, Natalie and Miss Duke's shady reputation as a television performer will be lost. The girl has talent.
For the role, she donned a nose and a set of upper front teeth, and I can think of no one who looked bad as well as she did. With this circus-face and two pushy parents, Duke's Natalie was bound to become a rebel.
Romance, heartbreak and comebackitiveness are always trite subject matter . . . unless handled by someone as talented as Patty Duke.
Miss Duke, who without the facial props is beautiful, seems to know just what it feels like to be told by a date (dug up by her well-meaning parents) that her nose is crooked. She combats all of her encounters with wit and fortitude.
The movie does have one glaringly stupid scene which was mildly reminiscent of Skidoo (one of the sickliest series of film panels ever thrown onto one reel) in which Jackie Gleason takes an acid trip. Natalie's acid trip (brought about by "spiked" punch at a party, if you can believe it) would have been much better as an alcoholic bender.
But Patty Duke's talents prevent such tripe as that particular scene from destroying the movie. Ruskin said, "Absolute and entire ugliness is rare."
Natalie's looks are rare, but not so precious as Miss Duke's performance.
Sept. 29
1969 KANSAN 5
WEDNESDAY NIGHT 9-11 BUDWEISER NIGHT
16 oz.—25c
8 oz.-15c
- Budweiser T-Shirts
I think your condemnation of Goodbye, Columbus was highly unjustified. Like most people I know who didn't like the movie, your disappointment seems to stem from the fact that you expected another The Graduate. Actually the movie has very little to do with the "generation gap," and any attempt to judge it on that basis will end in failure.
The following is a letter I received concerning my review of Goodbye, Columbus last week: Dear Mike,
- Budweiser Fraternity Plaques
The movie, like many of Phillip Roth's works, concerns the widening conflict between lower class city Jews and their richer suburban counterparts. Niel and Brenda are ultimately unable to make it because they are members of different classes (classes that, laments Roth, should still be united by their ancient religion and culture), not because of the everpresent influence of your big, bad "over-30's." If parents are supposed to be so evil, why was Mr. Patimkin portrayed in such a sympathetic light at the end of the wedding?
By MIKE SHEARER Arts & Reviews Editor
spotlight
Budweiser Buttons 809 West 23rd
Columbus review questioned
It looks like the scenes with the colored kid in the library went flying over your head, too. He was not the budding reader you imagine. In the book, once the portfolio of Gogin (sic) paintings was taken out of the library, the kid never came back. Roth imagined him back in the street somewhere, finding some other way to kill time. His place in the movie was to preview Niel's ultimate failure. One realizes the chances of his ever getting to Tahiti are one in about 3 million.
And as the scene blends into Niel driving up to Brenda's house, the kid philosophizes, "Ain't that the life?" ("fucking life" in the book). In the book, the Patimkin fountain is described as "colored like a Gogin landscape."
The ending has to be "uncomfortable" from your viewpoint. Maybe you expected Niel to come charging into the Patimkin house, fighting off the entire family with a huge Star of David. But the story ended where it had to. Niel was pushing an unworkable relationship; and Brenda, though dishonestly, was able to find a way out. She was smpathetic until her talk with her father
made her realize they couldn't make it. Sure the ending of The Graduate was fun. It was great to project oneself and imagine how great it would be to pull off a "Dustin Hoffman." But ask yourself how likely the ending of The Graduate would be. Not very. But Goodbye, Columbus (which, incidentally, was written four years before The Graduate) happens every day. It is in this, at least, that Goodbye, Columbus is superior to The Graduate.
—John Gorman (Ellsworth)
La Guerre Est Finie is an exciting movie on two counts. It is the most successful film so far to tackle the chief political drama of our time: the conflict between a man's ideological commitment and the disillusion such commitment always brings. It is also the first truly well-proportioned—and therefore the first truly satisfying—feature we have had from Director Alain Resnais.